Svetlana Toropova

HEC Paris

“Management consultant and experienced FP&A and corporate finance expert in Energy sector.”

Hometown: Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Fun Fact About Yourself: While I was studying in China, I accidentally participated in international rafting competitions among professional teams from all over the world (including the current world champions), having never tried it until that day, and got on Chinese TV.

Undergraduate School and Major: Baikal National University, International economy

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: KPMG, Associate Director

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of HEC Paris’ MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Location. As I’m planning to change the industry, it was important to me that the business school was located near Paris, the capital of the beauty industry. This attracts me with science-based R&D activity, non-trivial marketing challenges, and consumer-oriented philosophy. HEC Paris has partnerships with the beauty industry leaders and I hope to get an MBA internship in one of such companies.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at HEC Paris? In addition to a wide selection of strategy courses adapted to digitalization, which is most relevant at the present time, I look forward to taking part in the activity of The Executive Committee (TEC). TEC is a mentorship and business-leadership program, designed to help define long-term personal and professional goals and find work-life balance. I want my career path to be eventful and long, and this is possible only when all areas of life are balanced. To come to such a state, as my past experience shows, is a special skill, and I am glad that the development of this skill is taken into account in HEC Paris.

HEC Paris is just 17 kilometers from Paris. What do you see as the best part of earning your MBA so close to Paris? Сultural enrichment. The modern leader must be multilaterally developed. Therefore, a person who is preparing for this role must leave the business world from time-to-time to plunge into the world of culture and art. At the junction of these two worlds, the most grandiose ideas can arise. In regard to this, proximity to Paris is at hand. I’m already imagining how I’m going to spend my day-off at the Musee d’Orsay

Historically, over 90% of HEC Paris’ MBA students hail from outside France. Why is exposure to global diversity so critical to business success? Diversity is a key element for developing creativity and innovation in a team. Different backgrounds result in different views and outlooks circulating in the team – which creates more ideas. It also teaches you to understand people and develops empathy. This is important because leadership is, first of all, interacting with people.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Together with my team, I developed and implemented a brand new FP&A process for one of the country’s biggest companies, which is resistant to change. It took us more than 3 years, but it was worth it.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers by David Rubenstein. It is inspirational.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into HEC Paris’s\ MBA program? First of all, clearly formulate for yourself why you need an MBA, identify all the reasons and motives. Then sincerely and openly present them and yourself in essays, without trying to please anyone. At least that was my tactic. And finally, preparing for applying takes a lot of time, so start early, preferably a year in advance.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE HEC PARIS MBA CLASS OF 2024